White Lake Wood Flooring

Offering Full HardwoodFlooring Installation Services

﻿﻿Located﻿﻿ in White Lake, Michigan at White Lake Wood Flooring we pride ourselvesat being a one stop shop for wood flooringinstallation. We do it all. We can install apre-finished wood floor or we can install a full onsand and finish hardwood floor which is decidedly the creme de la creme of wood flooring. If yourbudget does not allow for a full blown hardwoodfloor we can also install quality laminates andveneered wood floors. We ﻿can﻿ also ﻿sand﻿ andrefinish your existing wood floors to make themlook brand new. We have proudly served the Lakes area for over twenty years. We have been all around Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake, Wixom, White Lake, Commerce, Milford, West Bloomfield, and Waterford. I am sure I left a couple out but I think you get the point. We grew up in Oakland County and we enjoy serving our local people. We also have a large family of businesses all centered around the flooring industry. Our sister company installs ceramic tile and natural stone so we've definitely got you covered on the flooring installation. We even work with a large hardwood flooring distributor that is usually on par or cheaper than the big box stores. Keep in mind that buying the cheapest floor is not always going to provide the best value in a floor. That being said, keep an open mind about some of the non-traditional flooring options because they are actually quite nice nowadays.

We Offer a Free in Home Consultation

To make the process of installing a wood floor easier on our customers we actually come out to your home in order to serve you in a much more efficient manner. We will walk you through all of your different options including wood types, stain colors, finishing options and more. We have many years of experience and we are glad to help you in any way possible. We have pretty strong opinions on what options are best for different situations and we will not hesitate to share those with you. We are not willing to cut corners. (Unless it is for a wood floor)haha. We provide this consultation free of charge as a part of our free no obligation hardwood flooring quote so please do not hesitate to fill out the contact form to set up your free quote or give us a call. Even if you decide not to buy from us, we can still provide installation services. Please take a look at the end of the page for our favorite place to buy wood flooring in the lakes area.

We are fast, efficient, affordable and local

Being that we share this community with you, we do our very best to provide every one of our customers with the fairest price possible while continuing to uphold the strict quality standards that we employ. We do not cut corners other than that of a wood flooring plank. wink wink. In all seriousness, I have proudly called this place home for a very long time and I care very much about my reputation. I take pride in every job that I do and I prove that with the care that I take to make each job a masterpiece.

More information about different types of flooring

With so many choices available today, it is more important than ever to make a well informed decision when purchasing your new floor. I have put together a short list of the pros and cons of each type of flooring. The list is by no means comprehensive but I hope that it can at least provide you some value when trying to decide. If you have any questions about any of the flooring materials listed or if you would like to get an idea on pricing for a specific floor please reach out to me here or give me a call at 248-694-9947.

Hardwood Flooring Choices

The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (.444 in) steel ball into wood to half the ball's diameter. This method leaves an indentation. A common use of Janka hardness ratings is to determine whether a species is suitable for use as flooring.

*Classic hardwood floors

When it comes to Hardwood floors you have so many options to choose from. Oak flooring is by far the most popular hardwood that is chosen by consumers. Oak wood flooring is a great all around choice that provides a classic look and feel. There are however, several different options out there that provide a very unique look that will hold up over the years just as well as oak. We have listed a few of the growing number of choices below. Listed loosely on order of popularity.

Red and White Oak- Most popular floor by a long shot. Hardness rating of 1300.

Maple-Hardness rating of 1450

Walnut-Hardness rating of 1000

Ash-Hardness rating of 1300

Yellow Pine-Hardness rating of 750 (too soft)

Birch-Hardness rating of 1250

Hickory-Hardness rating of 1800

Beech wood-Hardness rating of 1300

American Cherry-Hardness rating of 950

*Exotic wood species

Brazilian Cherry-Hardness rating of 2800

Mahogany-Hardness rating of 2200

Tigerwood-Hardness rating of 2150

Brazilian Walnut-Hardness rating of 3650

Bamboo-(Varies) Hardness rating 1000-5000 depending on how it is made.

*By no means is this an exhaustive list, it is only meant to show you a few of your plethora of options. We suggest you narrow your choice of hardwood down to a couple selections in order for us to bring you a wide variety of samples. This will allow for a much easier selection process.

Sand and Finish (Standard) Hardwood Installation

Sand and finish- (also know as unfinished)- This is the best of the best when it comes to hardwood flooring. This wood will come from the factory without any type of finish on the wood. The advantage of this is that you get to choose the exact stain and color that you would like. It can also provide a more seamless look with tighter joints. When a sand and finish floor is done correctly the floor can look like a solid sheet of glass. It can also be beneficial because the finish can be applied liberally especially in high traffic areas for a finish that will last a very long time. One final benefit that is a big one is the ability to sand and refinish this type of floor. Some instances in which this might be beneficial is when you become bored with a color or shade you could hire us to sand and refinish to another color or if the finish has begun to wear we can sand and reapply the clear coat. We will go more into refinishing later. Custom Inlays and BordersSomething else to keep in mind is the ability to install custom in-lays and borders. In-lays and borders can be a very tedious process to be installed properly, we take the time that is necessary to do these thing correctly with laser precision. Please keep in mind that custom work is much more demanding and will require more time and a higher price tag.

Pre-finished Hardwood Installation

Pre-finished Hardwood- (also known as factory finished) This is a great option for homeowners that want things done a bit quicker and with quite a bit less mess. The difference between pre-finished wood and sand and finish is that the former will come from the factory with a strong durable finish already applied to the wood. Not all pre-finished woods are created equal so we recommend only using a reputable brand with a tried and true track record. Some pre-finished floors allow for hand sanding and refinish but using a large upright sander can cause problems with the edges of the wood because most pre-finished wood floors have a bevel and the sanding can cause an uneven look. Please do not take my listing of cons as a deterrent to getting a pre-finished floor as there are plenty of quality products in the market today and they serve as a great middle option for those that like wood floors but would like to find a slightly less expensive option.

Engineered Wood Flooring Installation

Engineered Wood Floors- Sometimes there are times that it is impossible to install a sand and finish or a pre-finished wood floor. Reason being, wood floors need to be installed over a plywood sub-straight because they must be nailed or stapled into the sub-floor. Sometimes this would be impossible, some houses are built on a concrete slab and most basements also have concrete floors. When your sub-floor is concrete and you want the look and feel of a real wood floor then engineered is the way to go. Engineered floors can be installed on a plywood sub-floor which means you could install it in multiple rooms regardless of the sub-floor. When installing an engineered floor over concrete it will be glued directly to the floor and if going over plywood it will be installed with a special stapler that uses much smaller staples when compared to tradition hardwood. One other advantage and disadvantage is the thickness of this type of floor, engineered floors are very thin when compared to a standard wood floor, this can be great for when transitions will not allow for something thicker because of differences in height. This advantage can also be a disadvantage, engineered wood floors are made of layers of plywood with a thin veneer of hardwood over the top of the layers. This means that you can never do a full sand and re-finish because you would sand right through the wood and expose the plywood underneath. Sometimes there are trade offs in order to get the look that you want.

Laminate Flooring Installation

Laminate wood floors- Laminate wood flooring is not actually wood at all but is comprised of pressed composite that is covered in a laminate material that can have a variety of finished looks. They come in wood grain, tile , brick and many other varieties. Laminate floors used to be looked down upon because of the cheap look that was synonymous with the early production of these products, one downfall of these early products was their lack of water resistance. These products have come a long way in the last ten years. Nowadays you can find a plethora of options that are not only water resistant but are also very realistic and beautiful, most people might not be able to tell a difference between a quality laminate versus a "real" hardwood floor. Laminates can be nice because they are allowed to float over top of your sub-floor which allows for movement caused by temperature changes that might affect a traditional wood floor. Like an engineered floor, laminates can be installed over most any sub-floor which can come in handy in specific situations.

Bamboo Flooring Installation

Bamboo Flooring- Bamboo is a stylish and Eco-friendly option that can be a great choice for a lot of people. Over the last ten years bamboo has become more and more popular. Bamboo is actually not technically a wood but it is instead a grass. Being a grass, bamboo grows very quickly and most experts agree that it is a more sustainable choice when compared to wood. Quality bamboo flooring can be as hard as a red oak floor and some of the woven bamboo floors are even harder than that. Bamboo comes in a large variety of colors and can also be very unique in the grain of the boards. Most bamboo floors are of the prefinished variety but will also have the ability to be sanded and refinished if they do get dinged up. One con in regards to bamboo is that low quality bamboo tends to be very soft and can be dented very easily. This is not a huge con since the same is true about low quality wood flooring. It goes back to the old saying "Ya get what ya pay for". Overall, bamboo wood flooring is a pretty cool looking floor that not everyone is aware of.

Dustless Sand and Refinish of your Existing Wood Floor

Sometimes when you own an older home you might think that you are in need of entirely new floors but if your floors are made of hardwood I would be willing to bet that they can probably be sanded and refinished. I have yet to run into a floor that did not turn out great after we worked our magic. Removing your original floor in a historic home can take away a lot of the character and some would say it would be a travesty. While that is probably taking things a bit over the top I do believe that most homeowners would be highly impressed with how an old floor would look after a full sand and refinish. Another reason you might decide to do this is that you have the ability to change the shade of the stain that is being applied. This means that you would be able to take your dated yellow colored oak floor and stain it with an ebony stain to bring it over to the dark side, no pun intended. Obviously, going dark to light with your stain color will take some extra time work but it can be done. If you are trying to stay in budget when doing that remodel then a great sand and finish is right up your alley. Something I can not forget to mention is the fact that we use a dustless sanding technology which keeps things clean and tidy.D.I.Y. Hardwood Flooring Install If you are especially handy you could even give it a try yourself although this is not for the faint of heart. It has taken years of practice to become skilled enough to be considered a professional. If you do decide you would like to give D.I.Y wood floor sand and finishing pleasereach out to me because we do offer rentals on our professional grade drum and orbital sanders along with top of the line edgers, both of which are nowhere to be found at the Home Depot rental counter.

Wood Flooring Repairs

With over twenty years of on the job experience I have pretty much seen it all. From scratched boards to water damage, I have even received a phone call for a repair from a homeowner that had invited her larger friend over to visit and after she left it was discovered that her high heel shoes had left tiny dents across the entire length of her floor. That is why a shoes off policy is always the best policy. Wood flooring repairs can be tedious and can also be very time consuming, they also take a lot of patience. Not every installer has a steady enough hand to complete some types of repairs. Trying to cut out one single board out of a properly installed wood floor can take a surgeons touch. I am proud to say that I have become pretty darn good at these types of repairs and continue to refine my technique in order to provide that finishing touch that I know you are looking for. Unfortunately, repairs usually end up being pretty pricey. In order to continue providing repair service I have to charge significantly more than I would like otherwise, my time would be much better spent on other types of work. I do have to keep the roof over my head so it is a necessary evil.

Where To Buy Hardwood Flooring

If you prefer to go see a larger selection of wood flooring in a showroom environment instead of an in house showing I would like to refer you to my favorite distributor in Michigan. Michigan Hardwood Distributors is a family owned distributor of top quality unfinished, prefinished, bamboo floors, and many other flooring products. Located in Wixom, MI, they have been around for well over a decade and have thrived even through the tough times because they treated their customers as people instead of a potential sale. They have a large showroom that is open to the public and their customer service will blow the big box stores out of the water. If you decide to check them out ask for Caleb be sure to tell them that White Lake Wood sent you in.

If you have made it this far then I would like to say thank you. I hope that you learned a thing or two about flooring that you previously had not known. We know that you have many options when choosing a flooring installer and we are very thankful for each and every customer that we earn. We will do everything in our power to provide you with a quality floor at a fair price and in turn we hope that you will come back to us whenever you need another floor. Did I mention that we love referrals? Please feel free to share our name with anyone that is in need of any type of flooring or flooring installation.